Monday, November 22, 2010

My crafty friends and I are hopeless at documenting the markets we do and self promotion, but I managed to get some shirts out of the boot of the car (they were still there from a market!) and get the kids to run around the park for 7.3 minutes before they got annoyed. Since each shirt is unique, it's hard to document them all, but here's a glimpse into the type of shirts I make. They are pre-shrunk cotton shirts with some new and recycled fabric applique. The fun bit is color matching scraps and bits. All are currently hand embroidered until my hand, foot and the sewing machine needle manage to agree on something.

Kahurangi wearing All Star

Te Manaia wearing Kaahu

Atarau wearing Fis

Atarau wearing Rainshine

Kahurangi wearing Mei Tie

Kahurangi wearing All Star

Atarau wearing Oma Rapeti

They sell for 25$ and have a variety of designs, sizes and colors depending on my mood, and what scraps I have laying around the house! I really like the contrast of hard and soft edges, so i do a simple stitch embroidery around the edge of the design and allow the edges of the applique to fray with wash. I sometimes add bits like the bubbles out of the fishes mouth when the feeling moves me. Overall, they are simple, soft and sunny.

I suppose it's about time that I made a site for all my bits and bobs that I make. You might have seen me at craft fairs and markets around. While I've always had the crafty side of me that doesn't let a gift leave the house without a full flourish, it took a few years to get into the idea of selling. I'm still not convinced it's me, but I definitely love the time I get to spend oggling other people's wares, chatting with my friends that I sell together with, and making one off creations that people enjoy enough to buy!

My crafts are made usually on the couch in front of the tv with one of my sons draped across my lap sleeping precariously under my mostly handsewn creating. In the last few years I've mainly sold hand embroidered t-shirts for kids, painted figurines, soft toys, bookmarks and costumes. At the moment my focus in life is on my kids, so this carries through into my craft. Ideas for new 'products' come from the elaborate birthday celebrations I love creating. I take homemade Halloween costumes, party favors, gifts and decorations very seriously. I get a buzz out of the mix of kitsch and class of Japan, the back of little boys necks, the smell of a new box of Crayolas, and how linen moves.

I hope to share some things that I've made, some things I like, stories and to hear from you!

About

Bowties & Fireflies is the home of the creations of the crafty side of artist Laurel Barr. While her fine art investigates more serious aspects of life, Bowties & Fireflies is dedicated to digging into childhood memories and coming back out with just the fun bits.